Lord Davies of Oldham: My honourable friend the Minister for Creative Industries and Tourism (Shaun Woodward) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
	The Education, Youth and Culture Council willbe held on 24 and 25 May in Brussels. I will be representing the UK on 24 May when culture and audiovisual issues will be taken. Education and youth issues will be taken on 25 May.
	The first item on the agenda concerns the council conclusions on the contribution of the cultural and creative sectors to the achievement of the Lisbon objectives. Following the publication of a study on the economy of culture in Europe prepared for the European Commission last year, there has been an impetus within the Culture Council to ensure that the importance of the cultural and creative sectors (particularly in employment terms) remains on the political agenda of the EU. At the beginning of this year the German presidency proposed a set of draft council conclusions for negotiation by the Commission and memberstates based on that report's recommendations. These have been finalised at official level and the councilis now expected to adopt the conclusions at thismeeting. I intend to support the adoption of these conclusions.
	The presidency will then seek to reach political agreement on proposals to amend the television without frontiers directive. The proposals before the council are a significant improvement on those which the European Commission originally published in December 2005. In particular, their scope is considerably narrower. Instead of applying potentially damaging regulation to a very wide range of internet and other new media services, as the December 2005 proposals would have done, the amended proposals will apply only to television and television-like on-demand services—in particular, video on demand. They will also meet the Government's requirements in other respects, particularly by preserving the "Country of Origin" principle for assigning jurisdiction over cross-border services and by cutting down detailed EU regulation of television advertising. I therefore intend to endorse these proposals in the council.
	Under "any other business", the council is invited to adopt a decision on the selection of two member states with a view to the nomination by the council of two experts in the selection panel for the European Capital of Culture community action. The presidency will provide information regarding the ongoing work on the third work plan for culture. The presidency will also provide feedback on expert conferences in the field of culture and the "more trust in content" expert conference organised by the German presidency. The Commission will do a presentation on a European agenda for culture in a globalising world. I do not expect to intervene on any of these items.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: My honourable friend the Minister of State, Department of Health (Caroline Flint), has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
	The department has been reviewing the arrangements under part IX of the drug tariff for the provision of stoma and incontinence appliances and related services in primary care since October 2005.
	The current arrangements under part IX have not been reviewed in any detail for over 20 years. Nor is there any transparency between what is paid foran item and the cost of services. Furthermore, thereis evidence to suggest that the underlying coststructures have changed quite significantly; for instance, manufacturing processes have become more efficient and low-cost.
	In addition, there are no uniform standards of care provided by dispensers in relation to these items. Nor are the key dispensing contractors—pharmacy contractors and dispensing appliance contractors—reimbursed and remunerated in the same way.
	Therefore, in conducting this review, the department's key objectives have been to:
	maintain and, where applicable, improve the quality of patient care;ensure that the National Health Service andthe taxpayer are receiving value for money; andensure fair remuneration of valued services provided by the pharmacy and appliance contractors.
	The most recent consultations closed on 2 April 2007. There were three consultation papers in all:
	arrangements for the reimbursement pricing of stoma and incontinence appliances under part IX of the drug tariff; arrangements for the remuneration of services relating to appliances within part IX of the drug tariff; andproposed amendments to the regulatory terms of service of pharmacy and appliance contractors in relation to dispensing items listed in part IX of the drug tariff.
	The department received 137 formal responses. These came from patient groups, the NHS, trade bodies representing industry and dispensing appliance contractors, pharmacy contractors, dispensing doctors and individual providers—both manufacturers and dispensers. The department also received a large number of letters from patients and MPs who had been alerted to the consultation by the dispensing contractors.
	The volume and complexity of the responses are such that the department has decided that it needs more time to analyse the information provided.This analysis needs to take account of comments made about the department's proposals regarding reimbursement for items and on the proposed levels of remuneration for particular services, such as home delivery and product customisation.
	Consequently, no changes will be implemented in July 2007 as proposed in the consultation documents. Moreover, we do not expect that the review will be completed before the end of the year.
	Critically, throughout the review, the needs of patients continue to be paramount and the department is committed to ensuring that their care is maintained and improved. The department also seeks to ensure that the NHS is receiving value for money and that the services provided by all dispensing contractors are to the same standard no matter where in England a user of appliances may live.